Let's look forward - Squad for 2007/2008

[pjennings]

The way I look at it we have the basis of a very good team that needs a bit of strengthening. We prode ourselves on being a community team and so wholesale changes should not be considered but rather an evolaution over time.

First of all the following I would not consider for next year
Michael Beauchamp - Likely to stay at Nurenberg
John Crawley - Stays as Goalkeeping coach
Stewart Petrie - coaching role at club / short term cover
Noel Spencer - Rumoured to be going to Sydney FC
Vuko Tomasevic - Not A League standard
Mathew Trott - Not A League standard
Matty Simon - Not A League standard

I would buy
Mile Jedinak
Damien Mori
Jess Van Stratten
Mark Milligan
Oliver Bozanic as an under 20 player with Porter
Bruce Djite

Given that we are $200,000 under the cap and releasing Spencer, Crawley and Petrie I believe this not unrealistic.

The last spot needs to go to another goal poacher. Please feel free to add who you think we could add.

I think we need to be adventurous. Given the strength of the teams below (I think the second team is stonger than what we had on the field last night) we should be able to qualify for an Asian spot with the right player and hopefully attract further support from Singo and more importantly his mate Gerry.

To get the type of player we need I think we would need to have them as the marquee player. Tony Vidmar indicated that he wanted to move towards coaching. We should negotiate with Tony so that his player's wage is supplemented by a defensive coach role and free up the marquee role.

If this was done I would like to approach Robbie Fowler. Now too slow for the EPL but a magnificent goal poacher and known throughout Asia. With the right merchandising he could pay for himself through Asia. The upside for Gerry Harvey is that if we made Asia Fowler would generate heaps of promotional opportunities and his stores are easily franchised through Asia.

I set as the squad of 23 as two teams of 11 plus an extra stiker and have also include three youngsters to train on with the squad.

First Team
Danny Vukovic Goalkeeper 21 Y GK
Paul O'Grady Defender 28 Retain CD
Tony Vidmar Defender 36 Y CD
Alex Wilkinson Defender 22 Retain CD
Dean Heffernan Defender 26 Retain LWB
Andre Gumprecht Midfielder 32 Y CM
Mile Jedinak Midfielder 22 Buy CM
Tom Pondeljak Midfielder 30 Y RWB
Mystery Striker Striker 32 Buy S
Damien Mori Striker 36 Buy S
Nick Mrdja Striker 28 Y S

Jess Van Stratten Goalkeeper 24 Buy GK
Andrew Clark Defender 32 Y CD
Mark Milligan Midfielder 22 Buy CD
Wayne O'Sullivan Defender 32 Retain CD
Damien Brown Midfielder 31 Retain LWB
Oliver Bozanic* Midfielder 18 Buy CM
Jamie McMaster Midfielder 24 Retain CM
Mathew Osman Midfielder 23 Retain CM
Bradley Porter* Midfielder 19 Retain RWB
John Hutchinson Striker 26 Y S
Adam Kwasnik Striker 23 Retain S

Bruce Djite Striker 20 Buy S

Andrew Redmayne** Goalkeeper 17 Train On GK
James Holland** Striker 18 Train On S
Nigel Boogard** Defender 21 Train On CD

If you wish to comment please restrict yourself disagreeing and putting alternatives. I want this to be a positive thread -unlike many around at the moment.

[Pete]

I'll sum up what I've put in "Clearout needed!" thread for this one as it's relevant.
7 players are under contract for next season. They are:
#6 Gumprecht
#7 Hutchinson
#9 Mrdja
#10 Pondeljak
#13 Vidmar
#15 Clark
#20 Vukovic
ALL other players are up for renewal.

Of those that played or were contracted (including short termers) this season I'd negotiate for another season with the following (Definates) 9:
#5 Porter
#8 McMaster
#11 Brown
#18 Wilkinson
#19 Kwasnik
#21 Holland
#22 Bozanic
#23 Jedinak
#24 Simon

Of the Current Roster there's 3 that I would only negotiate a new contract with IF a replacement could not be found (Maybes):
#2 O'Sullivan
#3 O'Grady
#30 Trott

There would be 6 players who would not be offered a contract - as a player (Nos):
#1 Crawley
#4 Spencer
#12 Petrie
#14 Tomasevic
#16 Boogaard
#17 Osman

That leaves, under CURRENT Rostering rules, 1 spot available with a further 3 being available if suitable replacements could be found for present incumbents. That 1 definate spot should be spent locating a very efficient Striker, as that's been our let down this and last season.
I would also be looking at getting a commitment from Heffernan. As I understand it, he is on loan to Nurnberg from the Mariners. Should Nurnberg not exercise their right to buy him, the Mariners should be seeking his return for HAL v3. That's if we can legally direct this, as I do recall a comment from when Beauchamp and Heff went over there initially, speculating that Heff's contract had finished. If that's the case he would be a free agent by now and unless we get Nurnberg to pick him up, we'll have to negotiate with any other club for his services. Heff has indicated he wants to stay overseas if he can, so I'd imagine he wouldn't be too keen to look at offers from his old club unless he has nothing else going for him.

[DJ]

Heff wont be with the Mariners next year, he will be staying in europe.

I think we can certainly keep most the guys in the squad, but I imagine Spenny has played his last game for us. We need 2 attackers plus a fully fit Mrdja, Mori I don't think would be interested in a full time role.

I don't think Milligan would be interested in coming to the Mariners some how, he will stay with Sydney.

At the end of the day it's going to be an interesting off season and I'm sure we will see a number of names linked with us, Lawrie will learn from this season as will the team and we will be stronger in season 3.

[Pete]

djgrounsell said:

Heff wont be with the Mariners next year, he will be staying in europe.

Are we sure there's no way he can be directed back home, assuming the deal with Nurnberg doesn't proceed.
IF he's still under contract, or the options are there for us, he might have to come back to meet his commitment to the club.
IF his contract has expired then he's free to go wherever he likes I suppose.
I wouldn't like the proposition of Heff mucking us around throughout the whole of the off season, while we let other possible contracts slip by thinking Dean was gunna come back.

[DJ]

petethebusdriver said:

djgrounsell said:

Heff wont be with the Mariners next year, he will be staying in europe.

Are we sure there's no way he can be directed back home, assuming the deal with Nurnberg doesn't proceed.
IF he's still under contract, or the options are there for us, he might have to come back to meet his commitment to the club.
IF his contract has expired then he's free to go wherever he likes I suppose.
I wouldn't like the proposition of Heff mucking us around throughout the whole of the off season, while we let other possible contracts slip by thinking Dean was gunna come back.

Heff wants to stay overseas - given that fact I don't really want him in a Mariners shirt next year as his heart wouldn't be in it (perhaps)

Good luck to Heff overseas and perhaps in a few years time he will remember which club gave him the opportunity and score us some more goals when he's ready to return home.

[Jesus]

Give sully a contract. With the exception of Kwassie and SP, with gumps and tommy missing much of the season, he provided all our width and movement.

[juicyfruit]

Sully saved us a myriad of times this yr and proved himself a gr8 utility player are u drunk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[marinerbhoy]

van stratten would cost a bit, seems a waste when he will just warm the bench

[Fish]

Agree we need a bit of coin for elsewhere so i dont see us getting him and to be honest has anyone seen him play in the last 3 or 4 years?

[Ursus]

We already have a defensive coach in Alex Tobin. I do not know how many coaches the club can carry.
At present
Lawrie
Fergie
Alex Tobin
John Crawley (Goal keeping)
SP (Youth Academy)

[marinerbhoy]

sjf said:

Agree we need a bit of coin for elsewhere so i dont see us getting him and to be honest has anyone seen him play in the last 3 or 4 years?

thats right it would just be an expensive 'name'. although no doubt he has developed, and would be fantastic starting keeper, he will waste cap $$$$. and we all know we cant do a syndey

[bobandbill]

I really think we need to look overseas and at current A-league strikers if we can get them. Perferably someone with no/little record of injuries, as our club has had too much of that. We've been quite unlucky with some of them, and if we had had a 23 man squad to begin with, it wouldn't have been so bad.

Looking forward to what Lawrie can find bring over here.

[spursdad]

bobandbill said:

had a 23 man squad to begin with,

Since we go to a 23 man squad for next season, does this mean our Salary cap goes up as well?

[Perm]

we need Brazilians.

[marinerbhoy]

salary cap will go up $100 000 every season for the first 5 years

[marinermick]

marinerbhoy said:

salary cap will go up $100 000 every season for the first 5 years

given that the minimum wage is $35000 each team effectively goes backwards next season

[greenpoleffc]

Is that the sound of documents being shredded I can hear from way down South??

[dibo (pron. "DIB-OH")]

greenpoleffc said:

Is that the sound of documents being shredded I can hear from way down South??

what, from vanstone's office, now she's got the boot?

[jazasydneyfc]

Outsider's view:

#1) Does it matter? No problem keeping Trott (not that I've seen him) as Vukovic is unf***withable. Get someone cheap and remember Necevski is always around in case of injury
#2) O'Sullivan
#3) O'Grady
#4) Spencer (if he wants to stay and the $$ are right [and by right I mean low])
#5) Porter
#6) Gumprecht
#7) Hutchinson
#8) McMaster (tbh I'd actually be rid of him as I think he's rubbish - but it's a given he'll sign so consider it filled regardless)
#9) Mrdja (last chance saloon)
#10) Pondeljak
#11) Brown
#12) New experienced forward
#13) Vidmar
#14) New left-winger
#15) Clark
#16) New pacier forward
#17) Mile Jedinak
#18) Alex Wilkinson
#19) Adam Kwasnik
#20) Danny Vukovic
#21) young defender
#22) Young right-sided midfielder
#23) *shrug*

[lrr]

haven't seen it mentioned before on here but on foxsportsnews yesterday at about lunchtime it was mentioned that both spencer and o'sullivan have been released.

spencer i can understand but there are a number of players that i believe are less important that sully - who i have always seen as a very useful and versatile squad utility player.

though i must say this is the only time i have heard the news and it hasn't been confirmed so make of it what you will...